Advanced Acupuncture Clinic, Inc.

Information may not be reliable

Mindy Ming Huang
Doctor Of Acupuncture L. Ac., Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM) National Board Certified Member Of NCCAOM and CCAOM MD in China and Germany
Over 20 Years Experience In Conventional and Chinese Medicine in China, Germany and USA

We are devoted to the optimization of your health and wellness. We provide high quality care and apply the most skilled treatments. We use a unique integrated approach of conventional and oriental medicine to reach our goals.
Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Oriental Body Work (acupressure, shiatsu, reflexology, tiuna, moxabustion, cupping, etc.), Chinese diet, body-mind-spirit therapy (meditation, qigong, etc.) are offered to patients, as well as other recommendations tailored to each individuals needs
Common Questions And Answers About Acupuncture
What is Acupuncture and how does it work?
Acupuncture has developed over a period of more than 3000 years. For thousands of years the Chinese people have appreciated it for its non-pharmaceutical treatments, simple application, wide range of use and good curative effect.
Acupuncture uses placement of very find needles to stimulate acupuncture points on the skin along meridians in order to regulate the body balance and enhance the natural healing ability of the body.
Meridians are well defined channels in the body along which energy travels. The meridian system carries a vital form of energy (Qi or Chi) and nutrient (blood, essence, fluid) around the body, and it is a communication network through all parts of the body. It integrates all the body's separate parts and functions into a unified organism. The meridian is a system that is related to the nervous and internal secretion systems used to restore the normal functions and balance the internal environment in the body. Stimulation of these acupoints dramatically effect the flow of energy in the meridians, and can activate and alter body chemicals and hormones, and change the body into an optimized health condition.
The FDA considers acupuncture needles to be legitimate medical instruments. The National Institute of Health has endorsed the use of acupuncture for many conditions as mentioned below. It states that acupuncture is no less effective than many other modalities offered for various conditions and has a low risk profile.
The use of special electrically conducting pads, electrode, and magnets or manual pressure can sometimes allow the client to be treated without needles.
What is the chance that acupuncture can help me? How can I expect to feel?
Acupuncture had helped many people, and people who have not responded to conventional medicine or surgical management. As you undergo acupuncture treatments, your disease(s) / Disorder(s) / symptom(s) will gradually be improved or may be cured. Your general health condition with improve; you will have more energy and feel happier about yourself; your sleep quality will become better; your body and mind will feel more like themselves. However, there is a difference in the response to acupuncture from client to client. Some people notice an immediate improvement; some notice a change a day , two days or one week after treatment. Some people who initially think they had no response, notice a delayed improvement several weeks after treatment. A very small minority of people are not helped.
Occasionally, pain / symptom(s) are temporarily worse following a treatment. These are not cause for alarm or discouragement. Worsening of pain / symptom(s) may be followed by significant improvement. This also shows your body had responded to acupuncture. Staying on the course of the treatment will be more beneficial.
Each person is considered on an individual basis, and sometimes patience is required as different acupuncture approaches are tried, and the body takes its time to respond. Through use of nutritional guidance, Chinese herbs, proper exercise, and stress reduction, we try our best to put your body into the best possible state to respond to acupuncture. We cannot promise that your pain / symptom(s) will be eliminated with acupuncture or any other methods, but we do promise to try our best.
How Many Treatments Are Given? How Often?
On your first visit we will perform a complete analysis, evaluation and consultation about your condition, and set a treatment objective, and recommend any necessary herbs, and any nutritional guidance or proper exercise. Both the number of treatments needed and the frequency varies form the nature and severity of your complaint(s). We ask patients to plan for at least 3 - 5 treatments because the response curve for acupuncture moves up gradually during visits 3 - 5, and moves up dramatically thereafter. In general, complex or long standing conditions, such as pain / symptom(s) of many years, will require one or two treatments a week for several months. Treatments will often be spaced increasingly far apart as response develops and holds. Acute problems usually require fewer visits. When your objectives have been met, your treatment will end regardless of the number of visits. Some people like to return for 4 treatments per year with the changes of seasons, to maintain benefits and support general health.Does Acupuncture Hurt?
In general, acupuncture is almost always painless, but sometimes people experience acupuncture a little differently. Some feel only minimal pain as needles are placed, often others feel no pain at all. Once the needles are in position, they should not be painful. After needles are placed you many feel some needle sensation: e.g. slight or some degree of tingling, warmth, dull ache, sore, numbness, heaviness, distension, swelling or strange sensation, either locally or in a part of the body distant from the needles, or slight electricity along the effected meridian, but any discomfort is usually mild. You should have these kinds of sensations for effective treatment. Needles are sometimes connected to an electrical stimulator, which should cause a comfortable tapping for buzzing or some kind of needle sensation. Most people notice a generalized feeling of relaxation or well being, and find themselves either sleeping or smiling, or both.What Are The Possible Side Effects Or Complications Of Acupuncture?
In general acupuncture is very safe and has no side effects, however there may be some possible side effects such as:

Occasionally there may be transient worsening of symptoms. If this occurs it is early in the course of treatment and followed by significant improvement. These changes are normal and indicate that your body is responding to treatment.
People occasionally feel faint during acupuncture, especially at the start of the first treatment when especially nervous about acupuncture. We suggest that you should relax before treatment.
Occasionally, after treatment a few people may still feel very slight needle sensation in some acupuncture points. It will go away with time and you don't need to worry about it.
Any time a needle is placed in the body, there is a risk of bleeding or infection. Usually you can not see a mark where the needle was placed but occasionally, a small vessel under skin may be pricked, resulting in a black and blue mark. Rarely, infections have offered following acupuncture, however in all cases, they were traceable to use of non-sterilized needles. At Advanced Acupuncture Clinic we only use sterile and single use needles.
Rare but serious complications can involve the puncture of chest or abdominal organs. Alert your practitioner if you have a bleeding tendency, pacemaker, metal sensitivity, or are pregnant. Special considerations many need to be discussed, if you have abnormal heart valves, silicone implant, seizure disorder, or are taking narcotics or steroids.

Do not eat an unusually large meal immediately before or after treatment
Plan some rest and get enough sleep, or at least avoid having to work at top performance after treatment, especially after the first few visits.
Continue to take prescription medications as directed by your regular doctor.
Substance abuse and smoking will seriously interfere with acupuncture's effectiveness.
Observe and keep track of your response to treatment, so that we can better work with you to optimize your therapy.
Please be advised by a specialist regarding activities and further instructions.

Does Health Insurance Cover Acupuncture?
Policies are different from one insurance company to another. Please ask your insurance company for information on specifics regarding your coverage. Usually we don't bill your insurance company. Our patients pay for services at the time they are received. We are happy to provide you the necessary forms to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. If your insurance needs additional information, we will provide it promptly.

Chinese Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine had been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. We use them according to Chinese medicine theory. They are truly powerful, safe and effective for chronic and acute illnesses. Using Chinese herbs can regulate Yin-Yang balance, booster energy and vital substances, restore function of internal organs, increasing the ability of the body's own healing power and maintaining optimized health.
Oriental Body Work Therapy
We use excellent hands - on abilities at acupressure, shiatsu, tuina, etc. These methods are closely related to acupuncture in the theory of Chinese medicine. These ancient techniques use gentle manual pressure rather than needles to stimulate acupoints and meridians, in order to regulate and harmonize the energy flow in the body. The are useful and effective companions to acupuncture and herbal medicine.
If you have other questions concerning acupuncture, please do not hesitate to ask. We are glad to answer your questions.